The non-driving factors influencing car insurance rates

WASHINGTON – A driving record isn’t the only thing car insurance companies consider when deciding what customers will pay.

They may also consider marital status, education and even a customer’s job. But the Consumer Federation of America wants some of these factors to carry less weight.

The group says the five largest insurers – State Farm, Allstate, Geico, Progressive and Farmers – use factors like education and occupation to set rates.

They want state insurance commissioners to make insurers give less consideration to occupation and education when it comes to premiums because they say it unfairly effects low-income drivers.

After analyzing premiums quoted on the insurers’ websites, the group found that in most cases, insurance bills were much lower for a woman who is a married homeowner with a college degree than a woman who is single, who rents her home and who went as far as high school, the New York Times reports.

The Times reports Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America, said “premiums should mainly reflect factors like accidents, speeding tickets and miles driven.”